NEW YORK CITY – Hello Deli, the unassuming café in New York that became a global institution when it was featured on iconic late night talk show the Late Show With David Letterman, is bidding goodbye to fans and patrons.
Fans of the Late Show will recall the spontaneous trips by the show’s crew to Hello Deli located on West 53rd Street, where the poker-faced but ever-obliging owner Rupert Jee would banter with Letterman on an array of subjects; and play pranks on unsuspecting passersby.
My husband Terence and I first met Rupert and his business partner May Chin in the Summer of 2014, and I remember the warm reception and engaging conversation we had with the both of them.
Last year we were in New York for Christmas and visited the deli again. Despite eight years since our first and only meeting, Rupert and May still remember the “husband and wife journalists from Malaysia” and greeted us with hugs.
The café was smaller with a lot more clutter and people but exuded the much-needed warmth we needed on a cold winter day with the special cup of tea that May made us, and a superb beef Reuben sandwich and char siew bun. It was during this visit that they told us about their plans to take a long break.
When we unexpectedly found ourselves in New York yet again in September, the deli was already closed, but we were lucky enough to catch Rupert and May as they were loading their truck with boxes from their shop – in the rain which marked the start of Tropical Storm Ophelia.
They had already initiated their move to Florida where they plan to retire. Rupert wants to pursue his hobby of fishing, while May hopes to travel.
“We had done it all in our quest to make a living,” said May, 70, adding that before the deli they had operated a laundromat and a grocer.
“I’ve done this for 30 years. I need to retire,” said Rupert, 67, who has a son and daughter with his wife Lisa.
However, Rupert said while this may be the end of a chapter, he will probably think of doing something else later.
What is for sure unfortunately, is that the Hello Deli name will likely retire with Rupert.
He said the management of the Late Show and the legendary Ed Sullivan Theatre will decide on who takes over his spot of 31 years.
“They have strict criteria so you won’t have a weed shop here anytime soon,” he joked.
Rupert’s nonchalant and quirky reaction and responses to planned and unplanned segments were popular with audiences. It featured in comical out of studio recordings all over New York City and particularly in his cramped and cluttered, yet homely and functional deli that has hosted some big stars including Diana Ross and Englebert Humperdinck, in addition to visitors from all over the globe.
The ‘Fun with Rupert’ segment was one of the more popular segments with audiences. It involved ‘sociological experiments’ by Rupert and Letterman all over New York, where Rupert was fitted with a concealed microphone and camera, while Letterman instructed him to behave in a quirky and odd manner in restaurants, retail outlets and other establishments, from inside a nearby van.
Their modus operandi was simply to drive around the city and annoy people – and this was a hit with audiences until a knife threat from an irate subject put an end to the segment.
In a YouTube video posted in early October – titled “‘Late Show’ Celebrates The Hello Deli’s Rupert Jee,” host of the Letterman Podcast Mike Chisolm said thousands of people want to see the Late Show in New York and part of their experience includes stopping by the deli where Rupert and May entertained the same questions and comments over and over again with grace.
“They are some of the kindest people you’d have ever met and humble despite the notoriety they have earned, and most of all they are loyal and full of love,” he said.
Late Show writer Tommy Ruprecht added: “The Late Show is one that is cynical where we make fun of people and talk about what’s wrong with the world. Then we have Rupert and May who come on once or twice a week to remind us that the world is a pretty decent place full of decent, hardworking people.”
“These two people, they were not looking to be on TV. They were literally minding their own business – it was their kindness that kept us coming back,” he said, adding that Rupert was always a good sport.
The Late Show with David Letterman musical director and band leader Paul Shaffer composed and sang a song for Rupert and May at the farewell gathering with cast of the former show that pretty much sums up the role that Rupert in particular played.
While looking forward to his long-awaited break, Rupert conceded that he will miss the deli.
After David Lettermen handed the reins to Stephen Colbert in 2015, Rupert and the deli also ceased being featured.
“We have made a lot of friends here from the show and we will miss them,” Rupert said. – December 4, 2023
